Watchcase



Dec. 30, 1924. 1,521,456

. L. LU BIN I WATCHCASE Filed Dec. 2'7, 1923 INVENTOR,

lea/I; Zuin.

WITNESSES I ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 30, 1924.

UNITED STATES LEWI LUBIN, OF BROOKLYN, NEXV YORK.

WATGI-ICASE.

Application filed December 27, 1923.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LEWI LUBIN, a citizen of Austria, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Vatchcase, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact de scription'.

This invention relates to improvements in watches, and has particular reference to the construction of cases therefor.

In Patents No. 1,376,776 and No. 1,436,593, issued to me on May 3, 1921, and November 21, 1922, respectively, constructions of cases are shown wherein the center and reflector elements are soldered or otherwise secured in one of the shells or sections of the cases. In thus securing the center and reflector in position in the shell, the usual practice is to subject the shell to an annealing process. It has been found that, due to the extreme heat produced during this operation, the shell becomes softened andv loses its shape and stiffness rendering it extremely difficult and some times impossible to reform the shell. Also in this process very small particles of solder are accidentally deposited on the shell and other parts which must be cleaned after the soldering operation thus consuming considerable time and labor.

he present invention is designed to overcome the above difliculties and, at the same time, effect a considerable saving in the amount of material used in the construction of the case.

To this end the present invention proposes the formation of the reflector and center integrally with one of the shells of the case.

The above and other objects will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a plan view of a watch constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the watch case;

Figure 3 is a transverse section; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section, still further enlarged, of one of the shells of the case.

The invention is shown in connection with a wrist watch which, in its preferred form,

Serial No. 683,655.

comprises the front and back shells or sections 5 and 6 hingedly connected together in the usual manner at adjacent ends, as indicated at 7, the front shell 5 being provided with a strap or loop 8 at each end for receiving the ends of the usual wrist band.

In contradistinction to the usual method of affixing, by soldering or otherwise, the reflector element to the front shell of the case, the present invention contemplates forming the reflector integrally with said shell and to this end the material around the outer edge of the shell 5 is bent inwardly, as indicated at 9, and then upon itself, as indicated at 10, to form the reflector upon which the usual crystal is mounted and through which the dial 11 of the watch is visible.

Heretofore it has been customary to also solder or otherwise fix in the front shell what is commonly known as the center, which is an annular band shaped to conform to the contour of the wall of the shell and fitted snugly therein. This center is usually of a width greater than that of the wall of the shell so that the inner portion of the center extends practically to the front face of the shell and the outer portion a considerable distance beyond the inner edge of the wall of said shell. In the manufacture of watches these centers, which are usually made of expensive material, are a considerable item in the cost of production and much time has been devoted to securing a construction in which the original cost is minimized. This has been accomplished in the present invention by forming the center 12 as an integral part of the shell 5. To do this the inner edge of the wall of said shell is instruck to substantially the thickness of the walls of the shells 5 and 6 to form the inner edge of said center, the remaining portion of which, which is in reality the only part of the center accomplishing any useful function, projects outwardly from said wall. By insetting the center as described, it will be obvious that when the shells are in closing position the side wall of the shell 6 will engage and surround the center and the outer surfaces of the walls of said shells will be flush to present a neat appearance. To aid in retaining the shells in their closing position the center 12 and the wall of the shell 6 are provided with cooperating projections 13 engageable with each other, as shown in Figure 2.

With the shells constructed in the manner tomary manner.

specified the usual movement supporting frame 14 may be introduced into the shell and engaged with the center 12 in the cus- The shell 5 and center 12 are formed with the opening 15 therein which registers with a similar opening 16 in the frame let for receiving the winding stem 17 of the movement which is supported in the frame 14:.

It will b apparent from the foregoing description that the invention provides a watch case the production of which effects a con siderable saving in labor and the amount of material used. Inasmuch as it is unnecessary to solder any parts f the case with the accompanying work of thereafter cleaning the same, the use oti an excessive amount of material in forming the center is obviated.

\Vhat is claimed is:

1. A watch case including cooperating shells, the side wall of one of which is bent along one edge to form a reflector and instruck along its other edge to form a center extending parallel to said side wall and over which the other shell fits when in closing position.

2. A watch case including cooperating shells, the side Wall of one of which is bent along one edge to form a reflector and instruck along its other edge to form a center,

the inner edge of which terminates at said instruck portion and the remainder of which extends outwardly beyond the body portion of said shell so as to be engaged by the other shell when the-latter is in closing position.

A watch case including cooperating shells, the side wall of one of which is bent along one edge to form a reflector and instruck along its other edge to form a center extending parallel to said side wall, the inner edge of said center terminating at said instruck portion and the remainder of said center extending outwardly beyond the body or the shell, the side wall of the other shell extending parallel to and engaging said center when said other shell is in closing position LEVVI LUBIN. 

